Limiting inspectors or bargaining chip: Why Iran suspended IAEA cooperation
Iran’s latest move raises doubts about the oversight of its nuclear program and could mean a shift away from the nonproliferation framework it has long been bound to.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a bill into law Wednesday that obliges the government to suspend cooperation with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The bill was passed by Iran’s parliament last Wednesday with 221 votes in favor, no votes against and one abstention out of 223 parliamentarians present. It was approved by Iran’s Guardian Council the following day.
The move follows weeks of escalating tension between Tehran and the IAEA, signaling a sharp turn in Iran’s approach to nuclear oversight in the aftermath of the 12-day war with Israel and the United States. Although inspectors have not yet been expelled, the law lays the groundwork for a more restricted and conditional relationship, one rooted in mistrust and likely to complicate the path back to diplomacy.
Why did Iran suspend cooperation?
